Monday, August 1, 2011

The Phoenix Project - Pasela Panaracer Tourguard 28mm Tires

It certainly is no secret that many cyclists are persnicketedly passionate about the subject of tires. But I'm not one of them; the whole subject bores me as I use up my entire allotment of finer sensibilities about fine differences on things like tortoiseshell guitar picks.

But I do have some standards - I hate fixing flats, the tire should look ok and not cost an arm and a leg. For my current type of riding, I like 32's on gravel and 25's on the streets.

The Pasela Panaracer Tourguard satisfies all this for me. Going for the 28 size splits the difference between what I find optimum for paved and not paved.

The flat protection is good, but not the greatest. I once went with a set of Specialized Armadillos, the kind that you can run over operating chainsaws without damage. I never did get a flat, but they rode so harshly that I would occasionally think that I did have a flat - no joke.

Finally, I've been getting away from the tan sidewall look in recent years. For a blue bike, I especially like the solid black.

Street Cred

Harris Cyclery has been pushing the Pasela Panaracers for years, for goodness sakes!

Gizmo Lust

Like I said, tires bore me, largely because there is no possibility of shiny.

But I give the Paselas a little boost for the subdued but tasty yellow and red logo as well as making these in all black in recent years.

Crimethink

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Nobody has ever gotten fired for buying Pasela Panaracers. These are perfectly safe and conventional.

Tweed Factor

Riv used to sell these, which is pretty suspicious, and Tweedie-chans tend to find psychic reassurance by products on Harris Cyclery. But Riv has moved on to weirder stuff like Ruffy Tuffy, Rolly Polly, Flatty Fatty, and so forth.

Phony Accent

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There might be something to talk about in this category if this were the tan sidewall version. But sometimes, a black tire is just a black tire.

Lily Gilding

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The Pasela Panaracers are classically one of the best values in cycling. I must admit that I was tempted to go with some of those Cycles Gran Bois tires with the uptown French names and little to no flat protection. However, while The Phoenix Project is all about overkill and tasty components, the goal is to end up with an eminently reliable bike.